Continuous outlet system



April 29, 1941. w. H. FRANK CONTINUOUS OUTLET SYSTEM Original Filed Jan. 3, 1958 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 fri-rr 1321321:

April 29, 1941.

W. H. FRANK CONTINUOUS OUTLET SYSTEM Original Filed Jan. 3, 1938 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENroR ATrRNEx l Patented pr. 29, 194i CONTINUOUS OUTLET SYSTEM William H. Frank, Detroit, Mich;

Continuation of application Serial No.

1938. This application February 14,

January 3,

1940, serial No. 318,920 8 claims. (ci. 17a-334.1)

This application relates to continuous outlet systems for electrical distribution and discloses particularly a continuous outlet having exposed grooves for receiving prongs of standard attachment caps, with these prongs engaging, through the grooves, bus bars within the duct.

This application is a continuation of a prior application, Serial No. 183,232, filed vJanuary 3, 1938, now abandoned.

For an understanding of the continuous outlet herein disclosed, reference should be had to the appended drawings. In these drawings,

Fig. 1 is an end view of a fragment of a continuous outlet employing a thick rubber strip encompassing bus bars. and useful for receiving standard attachment plugs;

Fig. 2 shows how a miter cut may be formed in the outlet for bending;

Fig. 3 shows how bends may be formed;

Fig, 4 isanother view of the outlet of Fig. 1;

Fig, 5 shows how the outlet of Fig. 1 may be coiled with the slotted side out;

Fig. 6 is an end view of the coil of Fig. 5.

Figs. 1-6 show a continuous outlet having twov continuous grooves exposing bus bars formed for receiving prongs of standard attachment caps |0|. Thev outlet may be formed of a doubly grooved strip |02 of flexible material, such as rubber, with the grooves |03 receiving the prongs, each groove containing a bus bar |04 of cross section adapted to form a continuous prong receiving contact. For permitting bending and ceiling of the outlet the sides of the bus bars |04 may be transversely slitted on shear lines which start at the bights of the bus bars and terminate at the free edges of the bus bars. Because of the provision of these slits |05 and because of the flexibility of the material employedV for the strip |02, it is practical to form long lengths of outlet and to coil such lengths with the grooves |03 on the outside of the coil. In such coiling slits |05 of the bus bars may open up to relieve the tension created in the bus bars by such coiling.

'I'his characteristic may also be used to advantage in the formation of outside bends such as that shown in the lower left corner of Fig. 3

y which shows a bend with the grooves of the .out-

let outside.

For forming an inside bend, that is with the grooves of the outlet inside, the expedient illustrated in Figs. 2 and 3 may be employed. Fig. 2 shows how a miter cut |06 in the outlet may be made, with the cut including not only the strip |02 but also parts of the bus bars |04. The

cut will extend only to the bights of the bus bars, leaving such bights and the wall mounting side of the strip uncut and continuous. When a cut of this character is formed in a duct, the duct may be bent sharply, as shown in Fig. 3 at the right hand side, to forma sharp inside bend with both the strip and the bus bars being continuous, electrically and mechanically, and with no live parts being exposed for accidental contact.

The bus bars may be assembled with the outlet strip in any suitable manner. For example, the strip may be extruded around the bus bars; or the bus bars may be inserted into a .previously molded outlet strip, which itself vmay be made by extrusion.

I claim:

1. A continuous outlet of strip form comprising a strip of Vexible material, such as rubber, having two parallel longitudinal continuous grooves on its top surface, with each groove being of inverted T cross section, the leg of the T opening to the top surface and the base of the T extending parallel to the top surface, 'each groove containing a strip bus bar of sheet metal folded in a double walled T to provide a base and two sides which are parallel and close together to form a prong receiving continuous contact, the base of each strip being of greater transverse dimensions than the space between the sides, the walls of each groove closely tting against the outer surface of each strip so that the latter acts as a liner for each strip.

2. A continuous outlet of strip form comprising a vstrip of exible material, such as rubber, having two parallel longitudinal continuous grooves on its top surface, with each groove being of inverted T cross section, the leg of the T opening to the top surface and the base jof the T extending parallel to the top surface, each groove containing a strip bus bar of sheet metal folded in a double walled T to provide a base and two sides which are parallel and close together to form a prong receiving continuous contact, the base of each strip being lof greater transverse dimensions than the space between the sides, the walls of each groove closely tting against the outer surface of each strip so that the latter acts as a liner for each strip, the spacing between the sides corresponding to the thickness of conventional attachment plug prongs.

3. A continuous outlet of strip form comprising a strip of flexible material, such as rubber, having two parallel longitudinal continuous grooves on its top surface, with each groove being of inverted T cross section, the leg of Ithe T the sides, the walls of each groove closely fittingV against the outer surface of each strip so that the latter acts as a liner for each strip, the spacing between the grooves corresponding to the `walls of each groove closely fitting against the outer surface of each strip so that the latter acts as a liner for each strip, the spacing between the sides corresponding to the thickness of conventional attachment plug prongs, the sides of the spacing between conventional attachment plug prongs.

4. A continuous outlet of strip form comprising a strip of flexible material, such as rubber, having two parallel longitudinal continuous grooves on its top surface, with each groove besides whichare parallel and close together to form a prong receiving continuous contact, the base of each strip being of greater transverse dimensions than the space between the sides, the walls of each groove closely fitting against the outer surface of each strip so that the latter acts as a liner for each strip, the spacing between the sides corresponding to the thickness of conventional attachment plug prongs, the spacing between the grooves corresponding to the spacing between conventional attachment plug prongs.

5. A continuous outlet of strip form comprising a strip of flexible material, such as rubber, having two parallel longitudinal continuous grooves on its top surface, with each groove being of inverted T cross section, the leg of the T opening to the top surface and the base of the T extending parallel to the top surface, each groove containing a strip bus bar of sheet metal folded in a double walled T to provide a base and two sides which are parallel and close together to form a prong receiving continuous contact, the base of each strip being of greater transverse dirnensions than the space between the sides, the walls of each groove closely fitting against the outer surface of each strip so that the latter acts as a liner for each strip, the sides of the strips being transversely slitted at closely spaced intervals, with the slits extending from the free edges of the sides close to the bases of the strips, these bases being not slitted.

6. A continuous outlet of strip form comprising a strip of flexible material, such as rubber, having two parallel longitudinal continuous grooves on its top surface, with each groove being of inverted T cross section, the leg of the`T opening to the'top surface and the base of the T extending parallel to the top surface, each groove strips being transversely slitted at closely spaced intervals, with the slits extending from the free edges of the sides close to the bases of the strips, these bases being not slitted.

7. A continuous outlet of strip form comprising a strip of flexible material, such as rubber, having two parallel longitudinal continuous grooves on its top surface, with each groove being of inverted T cross section, the leg of the T opening to the top surface and the base of the T extending parallel to the top surface, each groove containing a. strip bus bar of sheet metal folded in a double walled T to provide a base and two sides which are parallel and close together to form a prong receiving continuous contact, the base of each strip being of greater transverse dimensions than the space between the sides, the walls of each groove closely fitting against the outer surface of each strip so that the latter acts as a liner for each strip, the spacing between the grooves corresponding to the spacing between conventional attachment plug prongs, the sides of the strips being transversely slitted at closely spaced intervals, with the slits extending from the free edges of the sides close to the bases of the strips, these Ibases being not slitted.

8. -A continuous outlet of strip form comprising a strip of flexible material, such as rubber, having two parallel longitudinal continuous grooves on its top surface, with each groove being of inverted T cross section, the leg of the T opening to the top surface and the base of the T extending parallel to the top surface, each groove containing a strip of bus bar of sheet metal folded in a double walled T to provide a base and two sides which are parallel and close together to form a prong receiving continuous contact, the base of each strip being of greater transverse dimensions than the space between the sides, the walls of each groove closely tting against the outer surface of each strip so that the latter acts as a liner for eachstrip, the vspacing between sides corresponding to the thickness of conventional attachment plug prongs, the spacing between the grooves corresponding to the spacing between conventional attachment plug prongs, the sides of the strips being transversely slitted at closely spaced intervals, withthe slits extending from the free edges of the sides close to the bases of the strips, these bases being not slitted.

WILLIAM H. FRANK. 

